A record 75 million tourists visited Central Florida last year, according to tourism marketing agency Visit Orlando, and while many of them are still heading to the theme parks, International Drive is capturing a bigger and bigger crowd as it continues to grow and change.
Earlier this week, ICON Park unveiled plans for the Orlando Slingshot and the Orlando Gyro Drop Tower that will open in 2020. Both rides would be the tallest of their kind in the world, with the drop tower at 400 feet and the slingshot catapulting people at 450 feet.
"We're being called the land of the giants here at ICON Park," President and CEO Chris Jaskiewicz said.
Jaskiewicz grew up in Orlando and has watched as International Drive has drastically changed.
"Now it's truly elevated," he said. "There truly are world -lass attractions and activities for people here."
International Drive is home to the existing tallest slingshot in the world, which catapults people over 390 feet and is located at Magical Midway, less than a mile north of Icon Park.
Both Magical Midway's slingshot and the new slingshot rides are owned and operated by the same Slingshot group of companies.
The manager of Magical Midway told News 6 when the new slingshot goes up just a mile down the street, Magical Midway and its slingshot will be redeveloped.
The new drop tower and slingshot at ICON Park are slated to open in spring 2020.